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<br />, Page 6 "- Rocky Mounteln NIOyis, Denver, Colo.
<br />
<br />....,
<br />
<br />Judge OKs
<br />
<br />'. '
<br />protection
<br />of cranes
<br />
<br />Court backs Army engineers
<br />who blocked dam building
<br />
<br />.,
<br />
<br />ay MARK THOMAS
<br />Rocky MoIIatala News SUlI Writer
<br />A federal il.l...dge in Denver on Monday upheld the Anny
<br />Corps of Engineers' right to block construction of a Colo-
<br />rado dam that threatened a downstream Nebraska habitat
<br />of whooping cranes, an endangered specie. _
<br />U.S. District Judge Jotul L. Kane Jr:.rWed 'that the
<br />federal government can regulate the. exercise of state
<br />water rights.
<br />Kane said the Corps of Engineen acted correctly in
<br />rejecting an ~pplication by the Public Service Co. aDd the
<br />ftiverside Irrigation DiJtrfct to build a dam near Brush.
<br />PSC and the water district sued the government in 1980
<br />alter being denied a permit to build the dam and reservoir
<br />on Wildcat Creek, a tributary of the South Platte River.
<br />The corps had based its refusal on a U.S. Fish an.d Wildlife
<br />Service study,that said the d;un could damage a wboopiDg
<br />crane habitat along a 53-mile stretch of the river iD
<br />Nebraska.
<br />THE 'STUDY Said the dam would deplete the wat.el:
<br />level along the waterfowl habitat and "jeopardize the,-
<br />continued existence of the whooping craDe and adversely,
<br />modify the 53-mile strech of the Platte River that is .
<br />critical habitat lor the crane.". . ";
<br />The.corps offered two:~.lter#atives to ,~-~~d the.,'
<br />district in return for a ~iL,:- replJtcement,qf the water
<br />used by the reservoir intO- the Sout,b"':.Platte Or' iirijirove-
<br />ment of the. wbooping crane' ~Drtat- But, PSC anlh the
<br />district: seeking to challenge tbe rigbt of the government '. .
<br />to control pri.vate 'W"a~.righti; refused. : '_, . '"""\. :.;
<br />The lawsuit .wail joined OD .the plainti!fs' Si~e by several' .
<br />other. water conservatio)i diStriCtS as~well as the state of -' ."
<br />Colorado,' 'The -"BOulder-based. 'NatioDal\ Wildlife, FOUnda"~:"
<br />lion. entered the aCtion.on the'g~ment's'si~. .
<br />Robert Golten; aa:attorue'y .with 'tJie foundatioo, called.:,'
<br />'~ane's ruling.a.-l'''~ctory~'~}'e~epiel~ .~por$B.nt'" '~:::
<br />''IT MEANS that not oDly c&fgovemment boC1ies regu- :""
<br />late Uie use.of.land to PrDtE;ct'th~ gea~rarwelfare, buf~.
<br />.tbaL they can'also regUlate~priv~te4water'rights. as. well;.~ ':
<br />~tt:~e~:~-'page.'~r~~,;~id~'~~~ ~der 'U:,'~i~n w~~. ~ .'
<br />. Act and .En(bngere~ Species-Act. the Corps must consider.:.
<br />. the effect of ,tlams ()R the' environment. ...
<br />"The defenda,ot'{tbe.coi'ps):!D ~ pr~t.~ wai:~~
<br />required,to baIt. the plaiDtiUs,rr(]m.~Jlg .,. wberi' ..,'
<br />. their projeeOfacf Ule ,pOteJiual of:adVe..sefy"Bffecling.tbe ,.' . .
<br />wb~per and tbeir babitat downstream fTom ttie project," !.".-:
<br />Kane said. . .
<br />Ray Gomez, a PSC spokesman. said Kane's'ruling-"is a
<br />setback for us aDd aU other water users''-in tfl'e state of
<br />Colorado.'"
<br />~'We did several studies of our own and. found DO
<br />adverse effects from the dam on downstream. habitats,"
<br />Gomez said. "It's still onr positio.~ that the corps ~'t.. .1.
<br />have the authority to decide how_mucb '.water can be
<br />provided downstream in Nebraska."
<br />GOMEZ DECLINED to comment on whether PSC and
<br />tbe water district would appeal, but. Gregory Hobbs, aD
<br />. attorney for another district, said there !'almost definitely
<br />- will be an appeal." "-
<br />The proposed reservoir would hold 60,000 acre-feet ,of
<br />and would be used for cooling at psc's nearby Pa'!D.ee
<br />Power Plant and irrigation by members of the water
<br />district., . r
<br />, Al1qut, 7~ JV:hPopipg cranes and other migratory water-
<br />! fowl_re" le,~lP!r ~~"~'tii""; ..bleh ~, ].o>~rovidl;;,,",P.
<br />. and"; v~I'~.~'~' 'rl i7u' wsUnj. e~, cJibto'!
<br />lh. :..lqopjrig4Pf "",;tl1'; lFtJ1~:I"1 'no. ',' ~ iJI:<uu,
<br />1800~.w~'~rain1t ol'~ra~ds~~[id '~uCed ~'b~~~,~~
<br />~ near-eSbqctioD.
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